1

PONTEFRACT & KNOTTINGLEY DRAFT BLUEPRINT v4.2 22/03/16

SUMMARY

The amount of Equipped Play Areas is about standard but new ones planned for future

residential developments will potentially create a surplus

The amount of Outdoor Recreation is about standard for the Neighbour Management

Area but provision is low in the ward of Pontefract South due to an uneven distribution

A potential new leisure centre in Pontefract Park would have a substantial impact on the

character and usage of the park

INTRODUCTION

This Blueprint proposes changes to make the greenspace network fairer and more sustainable. The

aim will be to provide something for everyone rather than everything for everyone.

To ensure a consistent approach across the whole district a two stage assessment will be made of

greenspace provision alongside local knowledge of the area:

Access to greenspace and facilities will be assessed using the catchment distances in Table 1

The amount of accessible greenspace and facilities will be assessed using quantity standards

It is recommended that the Blueprint is reviewed at least annually.

PART ONE - EVIDENCE

1. MAIN SITES

The Neighbourhood Management Area of Pontefract and Knottingley is made up of the wards of

Pontefract North, Pontefract South and Knottingley as shown in Appendix I.

Pontefract Park is a large open space which also functions as a racecourse. The park is currently

being assessed as a potential location for a leisure centre which would impact significantly on the

character and usage of the park. The existing management plan for the park would no longer be

valid should the new Leisure Centre be approved.

Friarwood Park is a grade II listed Historic Park and Garden near the centre of Pontefract. It has

recently seen a range of improvements including a new Equipped Play Area instigated by a newly

formed friends group.

The Close is the main park in Knottingley and needs to increase its appeal. The park contains an

aging leisure centre which may become surplus should a new leisure centre be installed in

Pontefract Park.

2

Greenspace

Category

Catchment

Distance(s)

Minimum

Area(s)

Description of Greenspace Category

Accessible

Greenspace

120m - Churchgrounds, Natural Areas,

Sportsfields and Amenity Areas

which are publicly accessible

Sites must provide for recreation – does

not include sites offering only visual

benefits

Outdoor

Recreation

250m

500m

0.2ha

2ha

Sportsfields and Amenity Areas

suitable for ball games such as

kickabout

Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs) should

be prioritised for areas where there is little

Outdoor Recreation

Equipped

Play Area

500m - Equipped Play Areas for children

containing manufactured play

equipment

Equipped Play Areas should be prioritised

in areas where there is little Accessible

Greenspace

Skateboard

Park

2km - Skateboard Parks: basins and

ramps for skateboarding

Formal BMX tracks are also included in

this category

Natural Areas 500m

2km

5km

2ha

20ha

100ha

Areas of natural greenspace such

as grasslands and woodlands which

are publicly accessible

Management of Natural Areas for the

benefit of biodiversity is covered in the

Local Biodiversity Action Plan

Allotments - -

Plots of land rented to individuals for the purpose of growing produce

Allotment sites are not accessible to the general public

Green Linkages

-

- Walking and cycling linkages for recreation and commuting that do not use public carriageways

Green Linkages that are appealing to use can greatly increase access to recreational greenspaces

Table 1: Greenspace Catchment Distances

3

2. LOCAL PLAN

The Local Plan can be viewed as an interactive map on the LDF Portal in Planning Policy on the

Wakefield Council website. Appendix II shows:

Adopted policies from the Local Plan (Special Policy Areas, Housing Sites and Protected

Areas of Search)

Policies in consultation from the The Leisure, Recreation and Open Space Local Plan

(Strategic Leisure Corridors, Leisure Opportunities Areas and Sports Facilities)

2.1 Adopted Policies

The Former Prince of Wales Colliery, Special Policy Area SPA6 will be set within an attractive

landscaped environment which will include the development of a linear park running parallel to the

railway. The existing sports fields will be relocated nearby.

Tanshelf Industrial Estate Special Policy Area SPA7 adjoins SPA6 and will focus on creating an

attractive gateway, providing high quality public realm and improving the quality of existing

pedestrian links.

Oxiris Chemical Works and land adjoining Common Lane, Knottingley is Special Policy Area SPA8.

There will be a buffer of open space between housing and industrial areas, new and enhanced

pedestrian and cycle linkages, an enhanced canal corridor and a new kickabout area and Equipped

Play Area.

HS27 and HS28 in conjunction require a 2ha Natural Area and Equipped Play Area.

Land off Cobblers Lane HS29 requires a kickabout and Equipped Play Area.

Ackworth Road/Hardwick Road HS31 requires a kickabout and Equipped Play Area plus a 2ha Natural

Area on or off site.

Land at Pontefract General Infirmary HS32 requires a contribution to improve the quality of nearby

Valley Gardens (Friar Wood Park).

Former Prince of Wales Colliery, Monkhill Triangle HS35 requires a minimum 2ha Natural Area either

on or off site.

None of the housing allocations in Pontefract present a loss of Accessible Greenspace.

In Knottingley, Womersley Road HS40 requires an Equipped Play Area and a Natural Area, and Land

East of Cattlaith Lane HS41 requires “all categories of greenspace” on site. HS39 and HS40 represent

a loss of Natural Areas though some portion should be retained.

Protected Areas of Search in Pontefract and Knottingley PAS3 to PAS5 present no loss of greenspace.

4

2.2 Leisure, Recreation and Open Space Local Plan

The Prince of Wales Leisure Opportunity Area LA6 is a substantial area with potential to provide

sports and leisure facilities for Pontefract and the Five Towns Area. The restoration will provide a

country park and football pitches.

Knottingley Hill Top Leisure Opportunity Area LA7 has potential to provide a sports hub to serve the

Knottingley area. Outdoor sports facilities will be enhanced and there is the potential to provide an

all-weather pitch.

3. ANALYSIS

A map of Accessible Greenspace and Allotments is shown in Appendix III, areas of greenspace

deprivation are shown in Appendix IV and areas of surplus are shown in Appendix V. These maps

have all been prepared as a desk top exercise so a site visit is essential before recommending any

actions based on this information.

3.1 Accessible Greenspace

A catchment distance of 120m is applied to Accessible Greenspace which comprises Churchgrounds,

Sportsfields, Natural Areas and Amenity Areas that are accessible to the public and provide for

recreation. There is no minimum site size.

There are seven areas of Accessible Greenspace Deprivation AGD601 to AGD607 skirting the

southern and eastern boundary of Pontefract, some contain school grounds which are not accessible

to the public.

There is one small pocket of Accessible Greenspace Deprivation in Knottingley AGD103 at England

Lane which is adjacent to school grounds that are not accessible to the public.

Areas of potential Surplus Accessible Greenspace SAG601 – SAG609 are shown for the

Neighbourhood Management Area of Pontefract & Knottingley in Appendix V. One or more of the

Accessible Greenspace sites within these boundaries - not all of them - could be strategically

selected for decommissioning with minimal impact on coverage - pending a site visit and appropriate

consultation.

5

3.2 Equipped Play Areas

Table 2: Equipped Play Areas (Standard is 0.3 sites/1000 residents)

Applying the 500m catchment area to Equipped Play Areas in the ward of Pontefract North indicates

that there is a small area of Equipped Play Deprivation in the south east of the ward which should be

addressed by a new Equipped Play Area as part of development HS29.

The town centre has not been identified as an area of shortfall since the resident population is low,

but a suitable proposal would be considered using existing procedures.

Should a new Equipped Play Area be provided at HS27 the existing nearby provision at Limetrees

should be decommissioned - the new Equipped Play Area could potentially be located to capture a

much greater population within the 500m catchment distance.

In the ward of Pontefract South there is a significant area of Equipped Play Deprivation EPD601

skirting the south west boundary of Pontefract. Consideration could be given to an Equipped Play

Area at The Barracks Sports Ground in the west of the ward but this is not the highest priority.

Should a new Equipped Play Area be provided at HS31 the existing nearby provision at Brockadale

Avenue should be decommissioned.

In the ward of Knottingley there is a significant area of Equipped Play Deprivation EPD602 in the east

of the ward. This should be addressed by new Equipped Play Areas required for SPA8 and HS40.

Should a new Equipped Play Area be provided at HS41 in the west of the ward the existing nearby

provision at Acacia Walk should be decommissioned.

Area of potential Surplus Equipped Play SEP601 is shown for the Neighbourhood Management Area

of Pontefract & Knottingley in Appendix V. One or more of the Equipped Play Areas within these

boundaries - not all of them - could be strategically selected for decommissioning with minimal

impact on coverage - pending a site visit and appropriate consultation.

6

3.3 Outdoor Recreation

Table 3: Outdoor Recreation (Standard is 2.4ha/1000 residents)

Outdoor Recreation comprises sports fields and areas suitable for informal ballgames. Sites over

0.2ha are allocated a 250m catchment distance and sites over 2ha are allocated a 500m catchment

distance.

There are several significant areas of Outdoor Recreation Deprivation for sites over 0.2ha in

Pontefract ORDA601 to ORDA604.

The amount of Outdoor Recreation in Pontefract North is apparently high due to the contribution of

Pontefract Park. But this space is outside the town and serves a population from wider afield which

needs to be taken into consideration when identifying surplus greenspace in the ward.

ORDA604 in the east of the ward of Pontefract North implies that HS27 and HS28 may be better

served with a kickabout over 0.2ha rather than a large Natural Area as required by the Local Plan.

There is substantial Outdoor Recreation Deprivation for sites over 2ha (ORDB602) in the east of the

ward which would be addressed if the kickabout area required for HS29 was of 2ha or more, which is

unlikely.

In addition to a significant area of Outdoor Recreation Deprivation over 0.2ha (ORDA601) there is

also an overlapping area of Outdoor Recreation Deprivation for sites over 2ha (ORDB601) in the

ward of Pontefract South. Kickabout required for development HS31 would reduce both ORDA601

and ORDB601 if sized over 2ha, though the kickabout area is unlikely to be this large.

There are several small pockets of Outdoor Recreation Deprivation for sites over 0.2ha in the ward

of Knottingley (ORDA606 to ORDA609). The new kickabout at North View is of insufficient size to

address ORDA606.

The area of Outdoor Recreation Deprivation for sites over 2ha in the ward ORDB603 should be

reduced by a large kickabout provided on HS41.

7

Areas of shortfall of Outdoor Recreation have not been identified here since they are included within

the areas of Surplus Accessible Greenspace.

Ward of Pontefract North

Ward of Pontefract South

Ward of Knottingley

PONTEFRACT & KNOTTINGLEY

MUGAs 0 0 1 1

Table 4: Multi Games Areas MUGAs in the Neighbourhood Management Area

3.4 Skateboard Park & BMX

There are no Skateboard Parks in the Neighbourhood Management Area. Pontefract could justify its

own Skateboard Park should a suitable location be identified. There used to be a BMX area at

Throstle Farm in Knottingley but this is no longer used.

3.5 Natural Areas

Natural Areas comprise publicly accessible woodlands and natural heath and grasslands. Sites over

2ha are allocated a 500m catchment distance and sites over 20ha are allocated a 2km catchment

distance.

A significant area of Natural Greenspace Deprivation for sites over 2ha skirts the south boundary of

Pontefract (NGD601). This makes the very small numbers of Natural Areas very valuable. The Local

Plan includes requirements for a 2ha Natural Area on several new developments in the area but in

most cases these are unlikely to be realised. Any opportunities for large new Natural Areas should be

considered but these are likely to be scarce.

Pontefract Park provides a Natural Area larger than 20ha which provides for most of the town

except for the southeast periphery.

The coverage for Knottingley for Natural Areas larger than 2ha is good and a further one is required

for HS41 to provide for the new residencies and the area to the north of the development. Fryston

Park Wood provides a Natural Area larger than 20ha but it only covers the power station and west

periphery of the town.

The naturalisation programme provides an additional 23ha of natural grassland in Pontefract Park

and a further 1ha in Pontefract plus 3ha in Knottingley, but these additions do not alter the above

accessibility outcomes.

The Local Biodiversity Action Plan specifies priority habitats to be created and enhanced across the

Wakefield District. The Neighbourhood Management Area of Pontefract and Knottingley will see

0.25ha of native deciduous woodland planted in Pontefract Park.

8

3.6 Allotments

Table 5: Allotments (Standard is 0.2ha/1000 residents)

There are nine Allotments sites in Pontefract and four in Knottingley and most are managed by

Wakefield Council. The mean number of applicants on waiting lists for Allotments sites managed by

Wakefield Council was ten in October 2015.

Area of potential Surplus Allotments Sites SAS601 is shown for the Neighbourhood Management

Area of Pontefract & Knottingley in Appendix V. The sites contained within SAS601 are Monkhill

Drive and Denwell Terrace which had seven and five applicants on their waiting lists respectively.

One or more of the Allotments sites within these boundaries - not all of them - could be strategically

selected for decommissioning with minimal impact on coverage - pending a site visit and appropriate

consultation and approval.

PART TWO – DELIVERY

4. STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE NETWORK

4.1 Key Greenspaces

Projects for Pontefract Park are effectively on hold until a decision is made on whether to locate a

new leisure centre in the park. Either way, a refreshed management plan is required. Should the

new leisure centre be approved the character of the park should be focussed on excellence in health

and fitness.

Friarwood Park has seen many recent improvements, in future, the attention of the Friends Group

will move more towards upkeep of the park.

9

The Close houses an aging leisure centre which may be removed pending the decision on the

Pontefract Park Leisure Centre. Once the decision has been made a master plan should be prepared

for the park which should have a sports theme.

The following Equipped Play Areas are in highly sustainable and valuable locations and would

potentially and provisionally be refurbished as a priority:

Pontefract Park

Friarwood Park

Pease Park

Chequerfield Lane

The Close

Ferrybridge Park

4.2 Sites Recommended for Protection

Most greenspace sites are at no threat of disposal and are protected adequately by existing policies

within the adopted Local Plan. The sites identified here for protection are strategically important and

are deemed to be potentially desirable as residential development sites.

It is recommended that no loss even incremental should be accepted for any of the sites P601 –

P607 which are mapped in Appendix IV. Proposals to dispose of other sites will be assessed on a site

by site basis.

4.3 New Recreational Provision

Most new recreational assets will be installed as part of new residential developments as guided by

this plan. New features will potentially be installed in Pontefract Park and The Close as guided by

more detailed site plans.

There are no assets that Wakefield Council is known to be intending to purchase or adopt for the

purpose of recreation in this Neighbourhood Management Area.

4.4 Sites Recommended for Decommissioning

Any proposals to decommission greenspaces will be assessed using established procedures and

guided by this plan. Wakefield Council will proactively look to strategically decommission

greenspaces selected from within areas of surplus identified in Appendix V.

10

5. ACTION PLAN 2016/17

No. Project Description

1 Pontefract Park Prepare a new management plan/master plan once a decision has been made on the new leisure centre.

2 The Close Develop and agree master plan once a decision has been made on the use of the existing leisure centre.

3 Residential Developments

Ensure adequate and appropriate recreational provision is planned for all residential developments in particular Special Policy Areas SPA6 and SPA8. Secure and allocate s106 investment.

4 Rationalisation of Greenspace

Investigate options for rationalisation of greenspace and play areas in areas of surplus as identified in Appendix V

5 Green Linkages Plot and assess quality and appeal of Green Linkages particularly in town centres linking to POS.

6 Delivery of Strategies and Plans

Local Plan for Leisure, Recreation and Open Space, Infrastructure Plan, Drainage Plan, Playing Pitch Plan, Asset Management Plan

7 Local Biodiversity Action Plan

Plant 0.25ha of native deciduous woodland in Pontefract Park

11

6. RELATED PLANS

The following plans are continually updated. The first three plans in the table are used to track the

delivery of projects:

Plan Name SharePoint Location Description

Parks and Open Space Capital Plan

Greenspace/ Finances/.. Approved improvements to parks infrastructure and facilities

Section 106 Funding Tracker

Greenspace/ Finances/.. Allocations for commuted sums for offsite improvements

Asset Management Plan

Greenspace/ Property & Assets/..

Lists of buildings, facilities, allotments, leases and licences

The Greenspace Policy

Greenspace/Policy & Procedures/..

Policy guiding the planning, management and financing of greenspace

Greenspace Blueprints

Greenspace/ Greenspace Planning/..

This report - plus ones for the six other Neighbourhood Management Areas

Greenspace Delivery Plan

Greenspace/ GS2 Delivery Plan/..

List of projects identified from the draft Greenspace Plan

Greenspace Delivery Plan2

TBA Revised delivery plan

6.1 Disclaimer

Wakefield Council takes no responsibility for the accuracy of information contained within this

report which should be considered as advisory. Any recommendations or proposals may be

withdrawn or altered at any time. Identified areas of greenspace shortfall do not imply that

Wakefield Council is under any obligation to fulfil this need.

There is a significant delay between new greenspace being created on new developments and the

greenspace being mapped. Caution should therefore be exercised in identifying areas of greenspace

shortfall near recent developments. Site specific requirements for greenspace are negotiated with

developers and may not always be provided as required in the Local Plan.

APPENDICES

12

Ward Boundaries for Pontefract and

Knottingley Neighbourhood

Management Area

Appendix I

13

Adopted and Proposed

Policies from the Local Plan

Appendix II

14

Accessible Greenspace

and Allotments

Appendix III

15

Appendix IV

Greenspace Deprivation Areas

16

Appendix V

Areas of Surplus Greenspace